Kwabena Agyapong, the Press Secretary to the President and son of murdered High Court Justice, the late Kwadwo Agyepong, has called the bluff of former President Jerry John Rawlings in the issue of the murdered High Court judges and the retired army officer and has thrown a challenge to the Chairman of the erstwhile PNDC to respond to his petition and meet him for cross-examination at the National Reconciliation Commission.
They were informed way ahead of he day (I was supposed to appear), February 4, but Rawlings decided to return the Sunday after I had gone to the Commission? if he has responded to (my petition) he should say so, so that we can go and find out. Why haven?t they responded up till now? he questioned.
Agyapong?s statements were in response to comments attributed to the Special Aide to the former President, Victor Smith, to the effect that the Press Secretary to the President should have been invited by the NRC to appear during Rawlings? testimony time. The exchanges took place on the popular ?Kokroko? morning show programme of Peace FM on Wednesday February 18.
According to Agyapong, although Rawlings was informed of the content of his petition to offer him time to respond and appear on the day of Agyapong?s hearing, he chose to stay outside the country, and has also refused to respond to the petition, which clearly indicts the former military dictator.
Agyapong questions the logic behind Smith?s assertion, saying, ?for him to say that the Commission should have used the opportunity available to it to ask Rawlings questions on that matter when he was subpoenaed on another (matter) is completely disingenuous. Why should the Commission do that? Ask (Victor Smith) why Rawlings has not responded to my petition as at now. If he had he could have the chance to cross-examine me the way Asaase Gyimah did,? in apparent reference to Naval Captain Asaase Gyimah?s appearance at the NRC the same day Agyapong gave his testimony.
?If he (Rawlings) wants to help the (Reconciliation) process, he should respond in written form, they will set a date, and we will all meet there,? he adds. Agyapong dismisses Smith?s claim that the ex-AFRC/PNDC chairman was not in Ghana and therefore could not respond, as hogwash.
